Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Edinburgh/Midlothian

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Edinburgh/Midlothian? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Edinburgh - Bucks Bar Grindlay Street

4.8

4.8 (507)

£25 and under

American

Old Town

About the restaurant

Welcome to Bucks Bar Edinburgh Grindlay St. We look forward to welcoming you!

The best free range buttermilk fried chicken you've ever tasted! New to Edinburgh, Buck's is a rock’n’roll bar specialising in authentic buttermilk fried chicken, seriously addictive Nashville hot chicken, cocktails, beers and Bourbon.

Live music every Saturday night!

40% Off Selected Cocktails Monday - Wednesday weekly offers
www.bucksbar.co.uk

Top review

Julie

Dined 2 days ago

Lovely food and great service. Would definitely be back.

Edinburgh - Bucks Bar Hanover Street

4.7

4.7 (215)

£25 and under

American

New Town

About the restaurant

Welcome to Bucks Bar Hanover St. We look forward to welcoming you! The best free range buttermilk fried chicken you've ever tasted! Buck's is a rock’n’roll bar specialising in authentic buttermilk fried chicken, seriously addictive Nashville hot chicken, cocktails, beers and Bourbon.

Live music every Saturday night!

40% Off Selected Cocktails Monday - Wednesday weekly offers
www.bucksbar.co.uk

Top review

Cameron

Dined 5 days ago

Went here for my birthday and let me tell you I was not disappointed. Staff very friendly and tremendous food plenty flavour. Will definitely be back

Pho Edinburgh Lothian Road

4.7

4.7 (30)

£25 and under

Vietnamese

Musselburgh

About the restaurant

Healthy and fresh Vietnamese food, with loads of vegan and gluten free options

Top review

Patricia

Dined 2 days ago

FABULOUS food as always! Very quick & attentive service! Very enjoyable visit! Can’t wait to return

Element

4.6

4.6 (531)

£25 and under

Scottish

New Town

About the restaurant

Your local in the heart of the city. Tucked away just off Princes Street in amongst the boutiques of Rose Street you’ll find a modern Scottish bar with food and drinks that have been intimately created and served with pride.

Our food is of traditional Scottish heart with plenty of modern twists.

Come down and try our brand new brunch menu, available Saturday and Sunday 10am-12pm

Every month we give a craft Scottish distillery their time to shine with our In Gin Cocktail Menu.

🧒 Under 18s welcome until 10pm
🐶 Dog-friendly in the bar area
🍳 Brunch served Saturday and Sunday 10am-12pm
🏃 Walk-ins welcome
🍹 Bookings for food only.
🍹Drinks only bookings are walk in only in our Bar Area!
📅 Contact us directly for bookings of 8 or more

Top review

Anne

Dined 3 days ago

This is our second visit this month. It's hard to think of anywhere else that would be better. It's central, comfortable, stylish, has an interesting menu and is not over-priced. Give it a try!

Society Bar & Kitchen

4.6

4.6 (269)

£25 and under

Mediterranean

New Town

About the restaurant

Welcome to Society, where you'll find a warm and inviting atmosphere paired with efficient and friendly service. Our staff takes pride in making your dining experience enjoyable and memorable. Our delicious menu features a variety of breakfast choices, including the highly recommended Breakfast Bun. For those seeking an evening meal, we offer a delectable range of pizzas, salads, and a comprehensive selection of wines, beers, and cocktails. With panoramic views of Princes Street and St James Shopping Centre, Society provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing and tasty brunch, lunch, or dinner in Edinburgh. Plus, we're conveniently located near iconic landmarks like Calton Hill and just steps away from Edinburgh Waverley railway station. Join us and discover why our customers return time and again, eager to share the joy of their dining experience with friends and family.

Top review

Roz

Dined 4 days ago

A fabulous place for breakfast or brunch! Delicious food and very friendly service!

Down the Hatch - South Queensferry

4.5

4.5 (2732)

£26 to £40

Canadian

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

North American influenced food, with quality locally sourced ingredients!

Note that last bookings for breakfast are 11am and first bookings for all day menu are 12pm. This gives a chance to reset and get ready for our all day menu.

There are now parking restrictions within the marina, we will validate your parking for you in order for you to get your parking for free. Please give us your registration plate when you arrive.

Please note that we are currently cashless, card payment only.

Please note that we do not have toilets on site but there are public toilets a 2min walk across the marina.

Our outside area is covered and heated in the colder months. There is the chance of some side wind/rain though if it's blowing a hoolie!

We are family friendly, when booking that a buggy/pram counts as a cover - let us know. :)

Full terms: https://www.downthehatchcafe

Top review

Liz

Dined 5 days ago

Outstanding food excellent as usual service great very helpful and friendly

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4.5

4.5 (662)

£25 and under

Vietnamese

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Pho is a healthy Vietnamese restaurant that specialise in pho noodle soup, the national dish of Vietnam. Aside from pho, you can also expect to find amazing sharing starters, healthy salads, hearty rice bowls and decadent curries. They have a range of freshly made juices and also Vietnamese beers and a large wine and cocktail list. Pho’s menu is 40% vegan and nearly entirely gluten-free too. They also have an accessible kids’ menu where children can get a meal and a drink for £5.95

Top review

Darrell

Dined on Nov 30, 2024

My wife is a coeliac and front of house was very knowledgeable which is most reassuring.

Loudons Fountainbridge

4.4

4.4 (17)

£25 and under

Breakfast

Musselburgh

About the restaurant

Loudons Café & Bakery serves Scottish and continental delicacies from its location at 94B Fountainbridge. Burgers, quiche, soup and pancakes, as well as a vast selection of cakes feature on a menu where most items are made on site and ingredients are locally sourced. The large centrally located cafe is child-friendly and has outdoor seating and free wi-fi and house an in-house bakery downstairs. Loudon's is about ten minutes’ walk away from Haymarket Railway Station, and a sixteen minute walk from the historic Edinburgh Castle.

Top review

Sandra

Dined 5 days ago

First time lunch visit with my sisters highly recommend. Food was delicious ,plenty to choose from. Service incredible. Will definitely be back.

Cold Town House

4.4

4.4 (1805)

£25 and under

Brewery

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Craft beer brewed on-site, delicious Neapolitan pizzas and one of the best views of Edinburgh Castle from our Rooftop Terrace. Cold Town House is where it’s happening.

Best Beer Bar Winner at the Scottish Beer Awards 2021 & National Pizza Awards Finalist 2021!

THREE DIFFERENT AREAS

* The Brewhouse - Our main restaurant and drinks area is a cool wooden interior with references to beer throughout. It's all about atmosphere! Dog-friendly.

* Pizza & Prosecco Floor - A gorgeous interior on our first floor. Our microbrewery and pizza oven are on this floor, so you can watch our team in action as they cook and brew for you.

* Rooftop Terrace - Cocktails, beers and an exclusive food menu served under a glorious view of Edinburgh Castle. Our iconic rooftop is perfect for any outdoor occasion

Last bookings for food are at 8.45pm, later bookings will only be for drinks. Please note that our Terrace closes at 10pm daily.

Walk-ins welcome!

Top review

Alicia

Dined 2 days ago

The atmosphere was lovely, the staff are very accommodating and the food is amazing.

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Experience

Brunch With Santa

Experience

Hogmanay Roof Terrace Party 2024 - SOLD OUT!!

Boozy Cow

4.4

4.4 (653)

£25 and under

Burgers

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

We're all about big burgers, dirty fries, Milkshakes and cocktails that look as good as they taste.

We mainly use locally-sourced and fresh ingredients to create our food and know you'll love it as much as we do.
As you enter down the stairs into our crib, you'll be met with a punk and rock-inspired aesthetic (Good old 90's style dive bar). We don't take ourselves too seriously here at Boozy Cow, and our team is on hand to make sure you have a great time.

🚶 Walk-in only for Drinks Bookings
👦 No under 5s, 6-17 year olds welcome until 8pm
🐶 Dog-friendly
🚶 Walk-ins welcome
🍹 Bookings for food & drink and just drinks welcome
📅 Contact us directly for bookings of 8 or more

Top review

Karen

Dined 4 days ago

The food and service we received was absolutely top notch, highly recommend and would definitely return

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